Most people in life have a chain of self-centeredness. They’re so focused on themselves and so blinded to everyone else. They want everyone else to be “fixed” instead of themselves (so their life would be better), while all the time God is telling them to be the one who changes.

The core verse we’ve used for the Chain Breakers series is 2 Timothy 2:8-9:

“8 But make Jesus, the Anointed One, your focus in life and ministry. For He came to earth as the descendant of David and rose from the dead, according to the revelation of the gospel that God has given me. 9 This is the reason I am persecuted and imprisoned by evildoers, enduring the suffering of these chains — but the Word of God can never be chained!” – 2 TIMOTHY 2:8-9 (TPT)

The Apostle Paul is telling us to make Jesus our focus in life and ministry. Yet, we focus on OUR desires, OUR needs and OUR “me time.” One of the biggest lies the world tells us is that we need to “do what makes us happy.” But we’re not supposed to do what makes us happy; we’re supposed to do what God tells us to do…and joy will come with that! Happiness can come and go, but God’s joy is permanent. As you connect with His joy, it brings life to you as you see what He has done for you and wants to do through you.

What Did Jesus Do?

If we’re going to be Jesus’ disciples, we need to follow what He said and did. Jesus told us (Matthew 20:28) “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” He was all about giving up Himself so that others could be set free.

What did He tell His disciples?

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’“ – MATTHEW 16:24 (NKJV)

The Passion Translation says, “If you truly want to follow Me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share My cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to My ways.”

Jesus gave His followers a 3-step plan; it’s what HE did.

1. DENY YOURSELF. Deny or turn from your desires, opinions, and beliefs and humble yourselves and realize God knows better than you.

2. TAKE UP YOUR CROSS. Live in and carry the victory of the cross with you daily. Don’t let life teach you what is contrary to the Word. Matthew 23:10 says we have one teacher, the Christ! Don’t let life’s experiences and contradiction be your teacher. Daily, walk in the victory of redemption and all it entails, not in the misery of the world’s defeat.

3. FOLLOW ME. Not just LOOK after Me, or READ about Me, but actually FOLLOW Me.

Back in the day, rabbis and teachers would have followers who sought to learn everything their masters spoke – word-for-word – so they could re-teach that same message to people so that others would become followers. They weren’t truly a follower unless they did everything and said everything that their teacher said and did.

When Jesus says “follow Me,” He’s empowering His disciples to do so, to look like, act like and speak like Him. It’s the ability to walk in this world as He did. If He says we can, power is released that empowers us to do it! 1 John 4:17 tells us, “As He is, so are we in this world.”

Really, step 1 is the way to break self-centeredness. It’s all about humility, doing what God says instead of doing what we want.

Breaking the Chain of Self-Centeredness

Look at 1 Peter 5.

“In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

“7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” – 1 PETER 5:5-9 (NLT)

We’re to dress ourselves in humility, following Jesus’ example. One way to keep your focus off yourself is realizing you’re not a “special case.” You’re not the only one going through the challenges you’re facing. It’s not too hard for God and you’re not too bad for God. To think you can’t be helped is pride.

Look at Jesus’ mother, Mary.  When the angel came and told Mary that she would, as a virgin, become pregnant and have the messiah birthed through her, she could have not believed; but instead, she chose with humility to accept what was spoken to her…and it came to pass.

“37 ’For the word of God will never fail.’ 38 Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ – LUKE 1:37-38 (NLT)

Watch the entire May 1, 2022 message on which this post is based: CLICK HERE.